My mother always told me that when you spend your time doing what you love, and can't believe you get paid to do it, you've found the career that's meant for you. I love food.Cooking it, photographing it, writing about it, reading about it, talking about it... I guess it rubbed off- Mother does too. But it certainly never occurred to me that I could make a career out of all these food. things I love.

My life has changed a lot in the last couple of years. I moved out of Marin County, California and now live between Sun Valley, Idaho and Litchfield County, Connecticut to be with a wonderful man. I've largely finished tying up the loose ends of the last chapter of my life, one that orbited around the death of my father. And while that chapter is perhaps the most pivotal one in the story I've lived thus far, it's time to turn a fresh page and put those lessons to good use. And with loose ends tied, and geographical transitions made (stay tuned for the episode California Girl Goes Arctic) I've been feeling as though it's time to figure out what's next. Career wise.

I loved working at Chez Panisse. A life-changing experience that reinforced and nurtured my love for people, integrity, passion, a working family, wine, and last but not least, food. If you haven't eaten there, go. I'd work there again in a heartbeat, but I don't think I'd withstand the new commute...

So I've kept my Chez Panisse longings at bay with my food blog- cooking and testing recipes, photographing my creations and sharing them with all of you. People have asked me to help craft holiday menus, cook for dinner parties, come up with a recipe for a vegan dessert that includes chocolate and hazelnuts but no sugar... And I've loved it. A manifestation of everything I learned at Chez. Nothing is more fun than sharing what you love with others. So when a friend asks "When's the next dinner party? When can we have Anne food?" or says "I cooked one of your recipes last night!" it makes me tick. Get's me excited. But it has been a side project, the blog as a subsection of my graphic design website. The cooking- a hobby of sorts.

This fall I took myself to see Chef. I was in my new east coast town, and it was a slow afternoon with some hours to spare. And given that I love to cook... Well. I spent the next two hours grinning and dancing in my chair, and walked outside feeling more excited than I had been in a long time. For those of you who haven't seen it, Chef tells the story of Carl Casper, the head chef at a highly regarded Los Angeles restaurant who climbs out of a creative rut by launching a food truck with some (not so) gentle persuasion by his ex-wife. Carl makes good on his relationship with his son, wins over America with his authentic cubanos, and as previously mentioned, dancing ensues.

I figured it out while dancing at the movies- my next step. I've been doing it for years: Anne food. And to do it, annefood.com needs to be its own site. Food blog take two. Really going for it. Yes- recipes. Over the next few months I'll transfer the old blog's recipe archive to its new home. Revisiting old favorites, and creating new ones. And as you can see, some revised posts are already here. But also restaurant recommendations, ingredient features, equipment write-ups, answers to your questions and more.

I'm excited. And I hope you are too! Add your name to my mailing list on the SUBSCRIBE page and get the latest straight to your inbox. Send me an email to anne@annefood.com and ask a question of your own. The existing recipe archive will still be accessible here during the transition, but soon everything will be current at annefood.com. Here goes!